Dubai, Feb 4 (Petra) - Minister of State for Public Sector Development Badria Al Balbisi on Wednesday took part in a panel discussion titled "Beyond Strategies: Artificial Intelligence in Arab Government Work," held as part of the fifth Arab Government Administration Forum, organized by the Arab Administrative Development Organization of the Arab League in cooperation with the UAE government.

Speaking at the session, which also included Syrian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdul Salam Haykal and UAE Minister of State and Secretary General of the Cabinet Maryam Al Hammadi, Al Balbisi said Jordan does not view artificial intelligence as an end in itself or merely a technical project but as a key driver within the comprehensive national modernization project adopted by the state at the beginning of its second centennial, across its political, economic, and administrative tracks.

She noted that Jordan has focused on the digital economy as a strategic choice due to the importance of technology, particularly given the Kingdom’s strong human capital, saying Jordan is today one of the region’s leading sources of digital talent, with many Arab internet economy startups founded or led by Jordanians inside and outside the country.

Al Balbisi said the government, recognizing the rapid transformations imposed by artificial intelligence on its operating mechanisms, effectiveness, and the relationship between citizens and state institutions, included in the second executive program of the Public Sector Modernization Roadmap (2026–2029) a new model of public administration aligned with these changes.

She explained that the program aims to transform the way government works into an integrated, unified, flexible, and fast-responding system capable of adapting to future requirements through enhanced governance and coordination and reduced duplication and waste.

She added that the program includes a core component on emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, focusing on data as a key area of institutional readiness. This will enable a gradual transition toward a comprehensive national framework for deploying these technologies in line with the "one government" approach and the government lifecycle, through integrated systems covering the public sector value chain, including policies, legislation, resource management, workflows, services, and linking performance indicators to results.

Al Balbisi stressed that successful adoption of artificial intelligence in public administration does not depend on technology alone but on key enablers, foremost among them reliable data, institutional interoperability, and legislative and ethical frameworks regulating responsible use, protecting privacy, enhancing transparency, and strengthening cybersecurity.

She underlined the importance of investing in human capital by qualifying employees to understand and use AI tools responsibly and preparing leaders capable of managing change and guiding transformation with confidence and efficiency.

She pointed to the planned establishment of the Jordanian Academy of Public Administration as a national platform to rebuild government capacities, not through traditional training, but by redefining government learning to be more closely linked to practical realities and future needs.

She said the academy will focus on continuously aligning capabilities with changing policies, national priorities, and technological developments; building flexible and cumulative competency-based learning pathways designed around career tracks; relying on applied learning based on government challenges; promoting professional communities of practice; and embedding digital and self-learning as integral components.

On skills development, Al Balbisi said the government is adopting scalable, updatable skills that can be expanded across the public sector to keep pace with rapid technological change, noting special attention to middle management as the critical link between vision and implementation.

She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering the private sector as a key partner in capacity-building, enhancing quality and reliability, and ensuring productivity gains. In this context, she announced that Jordan will host the International Future Skills Forum in May as a regional platform for exchanging expertise on reskilling the public sector for the AI era, inviting local and international partners to participate.

On the sidelines of the forum, Al Balbisi met separately with UAE Minister of State for Government Development and the Future Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi and UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Omar Al Olama.

The meetings focused on strengthening Jordan-UAE cooperation in public sector modernization and enhancing exchanges of expertise and official visits.

Al Balbisi affirmed the depth and strength of the longstanding fraternal relations between the two countries and their shared commitment to sustaining bilateral cooperation in line with the directives of their leaderships.

//Petra// AF